ART & GALLERY
COCO DÁVEZ
‘FACELESS’
Listed as one of the most influential artists in the world and one to invest
in now, Dávez’s paintings are at once uniquely identifiable. Her signature
technique is achieved through unconstrained brushwork and pure acrylic
colour on canvas, paying homage to the Fauvist artists who have deeply
inspired her practice. Primarily experimenting with colour and shape, Dávez’s
subjects are a diverse blend of cultural and historical influences ranging from
celebrities, musicians and artists, to film characters and cartoons.
In her most recent collection, ‘Faceless,’ Dávez engages with the dialogue of
popular culture and society’s obsession with icons. Large, exquisitely bright
canvases portray a range of notable people from Amy Winehouse to Frida
Kahlo, David Bowie to David Hockney, the outline of each person is a smooth
blend of rich, contrasting colours and dark shadows. Seeking a new way to
combine Neorealism and Pop Art, Dávez’s decision to eliminate facial features
from her works adds a semi-abstract layer to each painting and immediately
invites the viewer to partake in a game of “Guess Who?”
Born in 1989 in Madrid, Coco Dávez is the alter-ego of Valeria Palmeiro,
Self-taught and interested in utilising different artistic mediums such as
photography, fashion illustration and painting, Dávez began her career in
London in 2010 whilst working as an illustrator for Spanish newspaper El
Mundo. Quickly recognised for her vibrant, identifiable style, Dávez has
since collaborated with a vast number of high-end brands including Chanel,
Shiseido, Desigual, Dior, Prada, Vogue, Pepe Jeans, Samsung, Instagram,
Bombay Sapphire, Kenzo and Netflix. Recently, Dávez was listed in Forbes’ ‘30
under 30’ list as one of the most influential artists in the world and was the
only Spanish artist to be included in GQ’s ‘10 Best Artists Working Today.’
Visually arresting and sharp in detail, Dávez’s work has been described as ‘art
for the digital age.’ Paying homage to icons as influential as Yayoi Kusama,
Grace Jones, Iris Apfel, Pablo Picasso, Boy George, Jean-Michel Basquiat,
Don Draper, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana and Coco Chanel, the works are
a fun examination of the characters and creatives that have come to shape
our popular culture, by one of the most talented and imaginative artists
working today.
Faceless by Coco Dávez will be on display 10 – 31 May 2019 at Maddox
Gallery Westbourne Grove, W2 5RU.
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The Art of Luxury
Issue 38 2019